This invention relates to franking machines.
Known franking machines include a keyboard or other means for selecting a value of postal franking to be printed and means for carrying out accounting functions to maintain a record of the usage of the franking machine. The franking machine also includes means for printing a franking impression having the selected value on a mail item and means for feeding the mail item past the printing means in synchronism with the operation of the printing means. The printing means is arranged to print an officially designated franking which includes variable data such as the value of the franking, the date of franking and a franking machine identification. The printing means may also be arranged to print a slogan alongside the franking impression for advertising or similar purposes. Generally in such franking machines the mail items, consisting of envelopes containing papers, are fed into the franking machine one at a time along a flat bed and are gripped between a printing drum and a pressure roller whereby the franking impression is applied to the envelope by the printing drum. For large mail items which cannot conveniently be fed through the franking machine, the franking is applied to an adhesive label which is then stuck onto the mail item.
It will be appreciated that with franking machines of the type described above each envelope has to be handled twice. First a destination address is applied for example by a typewriter and then the envelope has to be passed through the franking machine to apply the franking impression. Accordingly it would be advantageous to apply the destination address and the franking in a single pass through a machine. It would also be advantageous for the envelopes to be fed to the franking machine automatically without manual intervention.